Tank cleaning device



1937 E. F. STEVENS ET AL 2,067,105-

. TANK CLEANING DEVICE v Filed April 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 23 ummmmmnmmmmm mmmmm 24 72 If A; /6

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TANK CLEANING DEVICE 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1936 numnmmmmmnns w EJZevezzs 1 JZflZZen to provide a novel means for moving heavyPatented Jan. 5, 1937 TANK CLEANING DEVICE Edward F. Stevens andFeatherston H. Allen, Ada, Okla.

Application April 29, 1936, Serial No. 77,067 2 Claims; (Cl. 210206) Thebroad object of the present invention is inwardly from the shell 2 ofthe tank to a point closely adjacent to the shaft 12, the inner end ofthe stop plate being spaced slightly from the the said hole. Above thedraw-ofi hole 9, the draw-off hole 9, diametrically with respect to thesaid hole. Above the draw-off hole 9, the stop plate M is cut away onits lower edge, as shown at It in Fig. 1.

.Angle brackets I? are located within the shell 2, at the lower end ofthe tank I. Each angle bracket l'l' comprises a horizontal inwardlyextended arm 49 and a vertical depending arm 50, the arms 50 of theangle brackets I! being secured at 48 to the shell 2 of the tank.'Depending vertical rollers l8 are journaled on the horizontal arms 49of the angle brackets ll. Horizontal inwardly extended rollers l9 arejournaled on the depending arms 50 of the angle brackets H.

A ring it! is provided and includes an upstanding vertical fiange 2| anda horizontal inwardly extended flange 22. The horizontal pairs settlingson the bottom of an oil tank to a point adjacent to the clean-out hole,at the will of an operator. The settlings are moved to the place ofdischarge by. a scraper, and structurally viewed, the present inventionaims to supply novel means for mounting and operating the scraper.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

Changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed, Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, in vertical transverse section, an oil tank wherein thedevice forming the subject matter of this application is embodied, partsappearing in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; I flange 22of the ring 20 rides. on the horizontal Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionalView on the line rollers 19, and the vertical flange 2| of the ring 3-3of Fig. 2; moves, in contact with the depending vertical Fig. 4 is asection on the line ll of Fig. 1.

The numeral l marks an oil tank, including a cylindrical shell 2, abottom 3, and a roof 4 having. a central cupola 5, supplied with aremovable closure 6. The upper end of a ladder I is secured in thecupola 5, the lower end of the ladder being spaced from the bottom 3 ofthe tank. The ladder 1 includes rungs, several of the lowermost rungsbeing designated by the numeral 8. The bottom 3 of the tank i has. adraw-off hole 9, located near the shell 2 and in communication with apipe Ml secured to the bottom 3.

A central bearing H is secured to the bottom 3. The lower end of a fixedshaft [2 is secured in the bearing H, and the upper portion of the shaftis secured in the lower rungs 8 of the ladder 1. Here note that theladder i has a twofold oifice. It serves as a means whereby a person maydescend into the tank 9, and it answers also as a mounting for the shaftI2. The shaft l2 has a double function. It serves as a mounting for thescraper 29, to be described hereinafter. Moreover, because the shaft i2is mounted at its lower end in the bearing H and at its upper end in therungs 8 of the ladder I, the shaft forms an anchor for the lower part ofthe ladder.

A radial stop plate It is secured at I5 to the bottom 3 of the tank, thestop plate extending rollers i 8, between those rollers and thedepending arms 50 of the angle brackets H, as shown in Fig 3. Theupstanding vertical flange 2! of the ring 28 has a rack 23.

The rack 23 of the ring 20 meshes with a pinion 2 secured to the lowerend of a vertical operating shaft 25. The lower portion of the shaft 25is journaled in a bearing bracket 26 on the shell 2 of the tank I. Theshaft 25 passes out through the roof i of the tank and is journaled in apacking box 2'! on the roof. The shaft 25 may be rotated by any suitablemeans, such as a hand wheel 23 attached to the upper end of the shaft.

In the tank is located a radial scraper which, as a whole, is marked bythe numeral 29. The scraper 29 comprises a rigid plate-like body 30, tothe lower part of which a cleat M is attached by securing elements 32.The cleat 3! holds a depending wiper 33 on the body 30 of the scraper,and the wiper is adapted to move along the bottom 3 of the tank, asshown in Fig. 4. Although the wiper 33 has been described as beingflexible, it is to be understood that the wiper is stiff enough so thatit will advance the settlings, as the scraper moves around in an orbit.The functhe tank. Loops 34 are secured to the inner end of the body 30of the scraper 29 and receive the fixed shaft [2, the construction beingsuch tion of the wiper 33 is to clean the bottom 3 of I that the scraper29 can swing horizontally, about an axis represented by the shaft l2.There are angle brackets on the horizontal flange 22 of the ring 20. Theouter end of the body 30 of the scraper 29 extends between the anglebrackets 35 and is connected thereto by a securing member 36.

The operation of the device is simple. The shaft 25 is rotated by thehand wheel 23, the pinion 24, cooperating with the rack 23, rotates thering 28 on the rollers l8 and I9 of Fig. 3, the scraper 29 is carriedaround in an orbit, and the settlings in the bottom of the tank aremoved to the stop plate M, where they can flow away through the openingit in the outer end of the stop plate 14 and through the draw-off hole9, into the pipe I0. By swinging the scraper 29 back and forth, until itcooperates with opposite sides of the fixed stop plate I4, the settlingsare carried to the place of outflow, the bottom 3 of the tank beingcleaned by the wiper 33.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an oil tank cleaner, a tank having a bottom provided with anoutlet, a ladder extended downwardly into the tank and spaced from thebottom of the tank, a fixed shaft mounted at its upper end on the ladderand mounted at its lower end on the bottom of the tank, a scraper, meansfor mounting the inner end of the scraper on the shaft for swingingmovement over the bottom of the tank and underneath the lower end of theladder, toward and away from the outlet, and means for impartingswinging movement to the scraper.

2. In an oil tank cleaner, a tank comprising a shell having a bottomprovided with an outlet, angle brackets embodying inwardly extended armsand vertical depending arms at the outer ends of the inwardly extendedarms, means for securing the depending arms to the inner surface of theshell, depending vertical rollers mounted on the inwardly extended arms,horizontal inwardly extended rollers mounted on the depending arms, aring including a horizontal inwardly extended flange and an upstandingvertical flange at the outer edge of the inwardly extended flange, theupstanding flange being received between the shell and the dependingrollers, the inwardly extended flange resting on the inwardly extendedrollers, the upstanding flange being provided with a rack, a verticalshaft supported for rotation in the tank, a horizontal pinion secured tothe shaft, the pinion being located within the upstanding flange andmeshing with the rack, a scraper movable over the bottom of the tank,toward and away from the outlet, and means for securing the outer end ofthe scraper to the inwardly extended flange of the ring.

EDWARD F. STEVENS. FEATHERSTON H. ALLEN.

